EMACIATED Synonyms: 78 Similar and Opposite Words

emaciated 1 of 2

adjective

i-ˈmā-shē-ˌā-təd

Definition of emaciated

as in gaunt

suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease the emaciated bodies of the survivors of the concentration camps

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emaciated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of emaciate

as in faded

to lose bodily strength or vigor without adequate medical supplies, doctors could only look on helplessly as cholera victims continued to emaciate

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of emaciated

Adjective

Police found Nola’s emaciated body wrapped in plastic inside a suitcase. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026 Dead, emaciated gray whales have been washing up on Washington state shores at a shocking pace over the last few months. — Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 May 2026 Out of 10 sloths that arrived from Peru in February 2025, two were dead on arrival, and the remainder were emaciated and in very poor health, the report stated. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 May 2026 An emaciated manatee calf was rescued on the Atlantic Ocean side of the Florida Keys on Tuesday and sent to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for emaciated

Recent Examples of Synonyms for emaciated

Adjective

As her pregnancy progressed, Kabita’s belly swelled while the rest of her remained gaunt.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
On the first day of the hearing, July 22, Salah Sarsour's brother, Mohammad Sarsour, testified that his brother appeared gaunt and dirty and complained of pain and inadequate medical care during his detention in an Israeli jail.

— CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of gaunt

Verb

In most cases, however, the original relationship spark has faded.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose almost 6% this week as hopes faded of a quick resolution to a deadlock that’s disrupted the flow of oil and other key commodities to global markets.

— Arsalan Shahla, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of faded

Adjective

Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.

— Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.

— Patrick Oppmann, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026

Definition of haggard

Verb

The ultimate effect of Fedorov appeal to everyone’s better angels, is that Zelensky is weakened, the questions of his electoral legitimacy amplified, and the call for an end to the war bolstered.

— Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Positions have hardened, trust has weakened and the room for quiet resolution has narrowed.

— Sean Pattwell, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of weakened

Adjective

The piece commemorated the 75th anniversary of the execution of the last czar, Nicolas II, and his family, and explored that event through the lens of the 1989 discovery of the czar and his family’s skeletal remains in Yekaterinburg.

— Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
As Becerra surged in the polls, his campaign raced to grow its skeletal campaign staff and raise money.

— Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of skeletal

Verb

Flags sagged in the rain and translucent ponchos billowed in the wind, but the sound of bagpipes and a booming sousaphone kept the crowd moving.

— Lila Hempel-Edgers, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
The project is located not far from the former Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street, where structural columns buckled and floors sagged on July 7 during its conversion into roughly 1,600 apartments.

— Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Definition of sagged

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“Emaciated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emaciated. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of emaciated

adjective

verb

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